What to Plant in April: Region-by-Region US Guide

April is the most confusing month in gardening. The seed catalogs make it sound like everything should go in the ground right now. Your local nursery is packed with tomato starts. Your neighbor just planted. But if you're in Minnesota, Vermont, or Colorado, planting tomatoes outside in April is an expensive way to learn about frost.

The truth is simpler: April is a green light for about half the country and a yellow light for the rest. The dividing line is your last frost date — and it varies by as much as six weeks across US regions. This guide tells you exactly where you stand.

The only question that matters in April

Look up your last frost date. It's the date after which your area is statistically unlikely to see another killing frost. For warm-season plants — tomatoes, peppers, squash, basil — you want to transplant two weeks after that date, not on it.

Find yours at the Old Farmer's Almanac by zip code. Once you have that number, everything in this guide falls into place.

Plant these right now, regardless of your region

Cool-season crops are built for April temperatures. They shrug off a light frost — down to 28°F — without complaint, and most taste sweeter after a cold night: the plant converts starches to sugars as a cold defense.

If you're in the northern half of the country and your last frost date is still weeks away, these are your April plants. Get them in the ground now, before temperatures climb into the 80s and your lettuce bolts into oblivion.

Frost tolerant · Best in 40°F to 65°F

Cool-season crops: plant in April everywhere

LettuceLettuceSpinachSpinachKaleKaleSwiss chardSwiss chardArugulaArugulaPeasPeasBroccoliBroccoliCauliflowerCauliflowerCabbageCabbageBok choyBok choyRadishesRadishesTurnipsTurnipsBeetsBeetsCarrotsCarrotsCilantroCilantroParsleyParsleyDillDillFennelFennelKohlrabiKohlrabiBrussels sproutsBrussels sprouts

Warm-season crops: it depends entirely on your region

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, melons, and basil all need consistently warm soil (above 60°F at 4 inches deep) and air temperatures that don't dip below 50°F at night. In the South, Southwest, and coastal California, that's April. In most of the Midwest and Northeast, you're looking at May or even early June.

Need soil above 60°F · No frost tolerance

Warm-season crops: safe to transplant in April in warm regions

TomatoesTomatoesPeppersPeppersEggplantEggplantBasilBasilSquashSquashCucumbersCucumbersMelonsMelonsWatermelonWatermelonOkraOkraSweet cornSweet cornPole beansPole beansBush beansBush beansLima beansLima beansEdamameEdamameGourdsGourds

What about starting from seed indoors?

If your last frost date is still six or more weeks out, April is the window to start warm-season crops indoors under lights. Tomatoes and peppers need 6 to 8 weeks of indoor growing before they're ready to transplant. Start now, harden off in May, and you'll have strong transplants ready at exactly the right moment.

The hardening off process is often skipped and almost always regretted. It means gradually exposing your indoor-grown seedlings to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days: start with an hour of shade, work up to a full day of sun, and let them experience a cool (but not freezing) night before transplanting. This toughens cell walls and prevents transplant shock.

April by region: what to actually do

The April cheat sheet

Crop	Direct Sow	Transplant	Notes
Tomatoes Tomatoes	Start indoors	After last frost + 2 wks	Most planted too early
Peppers Peppers	Start indoors	After last frost + 2 wks	Need warmth to set fruit
Lettuce Lettuce	Now, outdoors	Now	Sow every 3 weeks
Spinach Spinach	Now, outdoors	Now	Bolts in summer heat
Peas Peas	Now, outdoors	N/A	Dislikes transplanting
Kale Kale	Now, outdoors	Now	Frost improves flavor
Carrots Carrots	Now, outdoors	N/A	Never transplant tap roots
Basil Basil	Start indoors	After last frost + 2 wks	Very frost sensitive
Squash Squash	Start indoors or direct	After last frost	Fast grower; don't rush